Chapter 29

Later that night I woke up to sound of laughter. I sat up slowly and sleepily. Daryl was fast asleep. I looked outside and my eyes snapped open. My jaw dropped and I knew I was awake then, I was never going to be able to sleep again. There, right outside my tent, sucking off each other's faces….was Brandon and Andrea.

"You enraging son of a bitch!" I said.

They both looked up and when they saw me, horror was written on their faces. There was a long and very awkward silence.

"Alright…..I am going to go back inside my tent…..and pretend this was all a very horribly disgusting dream. And when I poke my head back out I do not want to see you two frenching on my doorstep." I said.

I slowly went back inside and closed my eyes. I tried to think of anything strong enough to erase that image.

"Who the hell am I? Harry Potter trying to cast a patronus? Man this is embarrassing." I muttered.

I thought of all the moments I had with Daryl. A smile came to my face and I slowly poked my head back outside the tent. Nothing but the fields of the farm. I smiled and nodded. I closed the tent flap and then curled up against Daryl. He put his arm around me and unconsciously pulled me closer.

"I ain't never gonna let ye go."

I looked up and found him still fast asleep. I decided to make things interesting.

"Promise me Daryl." I whispered.

"How am I gonna prove that to ya?" He moaned.

"I know not." I whispered.

"I might. Ye can marry me."

My smiled faded and my eyes widened. My seemed to stop beating. I bolted from the tent. I cared not if I had woke him up. I was running full speed towards the house. The thought of marriage scared me and I knew not why. I stopped near a tree and leaned against it.

"Why the hell am I acting like such a coward? I love him. Why would marriage scare me? He probably knows not he even said it. He was sleeping after all." I said to myself.

"He proposed to you in his sleep?"

I quickly turned and found T-dog there.

Shit!

I nodded slowly and T-dog smile and shook his head.

"That's the first I've ever heard that method of proposal. How did that go?" He asked.

"I ran."

"Oh….."

"Yeah. I ran like a coward." I said.

He walked up and put his hand on my shoulder.

"You're no coward Prue. I think that would be enough to scare the shit outta anyone. Daryl isn't the marriage kind of man. You weren't ready for it." He said.

I nodded and then sighed.

"I never gave much thought to getting married. Daryl probably doesn't even know he said it." I said.

"Are you sure that's what you want? For him not to even remember?" T-dog asked.

I looked at him. He had a smirk on his face.

"Why do you always ask the sort of questions that keep a person up all night?" I asked.

He laughed and I could not help but start to laugh as well. That was the great thing about T-dog. No matter what sort of mood you were in he was always able to make one laugh. He looked at me with a smile.

"Feeling better?" he asked.

I smiled and nodded. I gave him a hug and then walked back towards the tent. ON the way I stopped by another tree. I smiled and grabbed onto a branch and swung myself up. I climbed to the top and then pushed the branches aside. From up there in that tree everything was beautiful. It seemed as though nothing in the world had changed, that everything was just a nightmare. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

White grows the lily, red grows the rose

Here lies my lassie, look how she grows

One day she'll leave me

To cross shadowed seas

Pray god protected her

Keep her safe with me

The song I sung there was one I had known for as long as I could remember. The moon shone through the thin clouds and I heard a voice at the base of the tree.

"Prue what are you doing up there?"

It was Andrea. I climbed down and held out my hand.

"Come see."

She looked a bit worried.

"Worry not….I won't let you fall." I said.

She smiled and took my hand and I helped her up. I climbed back up and she stood on the branch next to me. I pushed the branches back and she gasped.

"Oh my god."

"I know. It's beautiful is it not?" I said.

"It's gorgeous. Everything is so calm." She said.

I nodded and then looked out across the fields.

"So you and Brandon?" I asked.

She didn't answer. I looked at her and held back the laugh that was coming. Her cheeks had turned red.

"It's alright. I have no say in the matter and he is a good guy. He'll take care of you." I said.

She looked at me and smiled. I should have known all along they would end up together. The way he had looked at her that first time and ever after.

"So uh….how do I get down?" She asked.

I laughed and showed her which branches to step on and we both climbed down. I walked back to the tent and found Daryl still asleep. He really could sleep through anything. I lay down next to him and slipped my hand into his. He did not wake but I saw a very small smile grace his face. I smiled and then fell back asleep.